Using an SDN controller to automatically test cloud performance

A method for using an SDN controller to automatically test cloud performance, the method for using an SDN controller to automatically test cloud performance, the method comprising:

• a processor of a computer system running a first bandwidth test on a physical path that connects two physical nodes of a physical network, wherein the first bandwidth test measures a first network bandwidth available through the physical network along the physical path;
• the system provisioning a virtual machine in a virtualized computing platform running on the physical network;
• the system instructing the virtual machine to run a second bandwidth test on a software-defined path that connects two virtual nodes of a software-defined network provisioned on the virtualized computing environment, wherein the second bandwidth test measures a second network bandwidth available through the software-defined network along the software-defined path;
• and
• the processor determining a network-path efficiency between the two physical nodes by comparing the first network bandwidth to the second network bandwidth, wherein the network-path efficiency is determined by dividing the second network bandwidth by the first network bandwidth.

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable hardware storage device having a computer-readable program code stored therein, the program code configured to be executed by a bandwidth measuring and optimizing system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer-readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device containing program code configured to be run by the processor via the memory to implement a method for using an SDN controller to automatically test cloud performance, the method for using an SDN controller to automatically test cloud performance, the method comprising:

• the processor of running a first bandwidth test on a physical path that connects two physical nodes of a physical network, wherein the first bandwidth test measures a first network bandwidth available through the physical network along the physical path;
• the system provisioning a virtual machine in a virtualized computing platform running on the physical network;
• the system instructing the virtual machine to run a second bandwidth test on a software-defined path that connects two virtual nodes of a software-defined network provisioned on the virtualized computing environment, wherein the second bandwidth test measures a second network bandwidth available through the software-defined network along the software-defined path;
• and
• the processor determining a network-path efficiency between the two physical nodes by comparing the first network bandwidth to the second network bandwidth, wherein the network-path efficiency is determined by dividing the second network bandwidth by the first network bandwidth.